State Fair Highlights 'Kentucky Proud' Brand

The Kentucky State Fair is offering an opportunity to educate visitors on the economic impact of the commonwealth's agriculture business.

A new exhibit this year called the Kentucky Proud Experience includes a variety of products made or grown across the state. Kentucky Department of Agriculture Marketing Director Kristen Branscum says livestock farmers will be on hand to tell their stories. "They sleep right beside their animals that they have and so I think it's a great opportunity for a kid to come through and actually talk to a dairy producer and talk about their milking operation," said Branscum.

Branscum says winners in the Sale of Champions event will have bragging rights. "It's always great for somebody to come back and say, you know what, I had the championship steer at the Kentucky State Fair and that increases their exposure and maybe their breeding stock where they can sell their animals at a higher price later," said Branscum.

State Fair Board Vice President Amanda Storment says the one point two million square feet of exhibit space makes the Kentucky State Fair the sixth largest in the nation. In addition to all kinds of animals, products, and arts and crafts displays, there is always fair food to consider. Storment says the newest 'on a stick' option is a Kentucky tradition. "So, it's all the components of a hot brown, turkey, toast, bacon, tomato, mornaise sauce, somehow they deep fry that on a stick and that is also served with Kentucky derby pie that's been deep fried," said Storment.

This year, free concerts will be held each day of the Fair. Storment says attendance typically averages about 600,000. The State Fair runs from Thursday through August 24th at Louisville's Fair and Exposition Center